Die.



A. BURKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY :8. IBM

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHET 2.

a. mum NC mu, 0. c.

ALFRED BURKE, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DIE.

Application filed July 18, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED BURKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, Kingscounty, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dies,-of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an expanding die for molding plasticmaterials.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a die, comprisingco-acting male and female members, for molding and finishing a completedarticle: from a. previously prepared blank.

Another object is to provide an automatically operating expanding corefor spreading the material of the blank into registration with the moldcavity.

A further object is to provide the expanding-core with a rib forpressing a. groove into the article during the molding operation.

A still further object is to provide a detachable plate interposedbetween the male and female members to prevent the formation of a fin onthe product, and to give access, by removal of the plate, to the moldcavity for withdrawal of the molded article.

To these ends, as well as to attain other objects not specificallystated, my invention consists in the novel features of construction,arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The die is intended to work on previously formed blanks made ofpyroxylin or similar material and provided with one or more narrow,elongated, openings. In operation of the die, the opening in the blankis placed over the expanding-core, which, upon expanding, spreads theopening to the required size and shape of the completed article, andcharges the mold cavity with the surrounding material.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, I have shown a die for making spectacle frames from blankssubstantially 0f the character disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,220,600issued to me on March 27, 1917. It will be understood, however, that Ido not limit myself to this particular application of the invention forby changing the con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 181,193.

figuration of the mold cavity the die may be adapted for use in makingother articles.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the male member;Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation ofthe female member taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4, showing theexpandingcore in contracted position; Fig. i is a plan view of thefemale member; Fig. 5 is a View of the rear face thereof as it appearsafter removal of the base, showing the guide slot-s in which the lugs ofthe expanding-core work; Fig. 6 is avertical section of the assembleddie showing the parts in co-acting relation, with the core fullyexpanded and the detachable plate interposed between the male and femalemembers; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6looking in the direction of the arrows.

The die consists of three general parts, namely, a male member A, afemale member B, and a plate C detachably secured to the face of thefemale member.

The male member A consists of a plate, to the under side of which issecured a framework comprising circular walls 1-1, extensions 2-2, and abridge-piece l. The lower face of said framework is provided with arecess 5, having the shape of a spectacle-frame and constituting theupper section of the mold cavity. The central portions of the extensions2-2 project below their marginal edges, as seen in Fig. 2, so as tocontact with the corresponding portions of the female member, when thetwo parts of the die are brought into the coacting relation shown inFig. 6, whereby to press a slot. in the temple joint portion of thespectacle-frame. Disposed within the walls 1-1 are the wedge pieces 6-6,having tapered ends which extend below the lower edges of the walls andare adapted to penetrate the core so as to expand the parts thereof.

The female member B is preferably composed of two plates 8 and 9,suitably secured together as by means of screws 10. In the face of theplate 8 is formed a recess 5, corresponding in position and shape to therecess 5 of the male member, and constituting the lower section of themold cavity.

The said female member is provided with two expanding-cores, eachconsisting of four segments, 11-11 and 12-12, arranged in pairs andforming, when fully expanded, a complete circle of substantially thesame diameter as that of the opening formed by the inner surface of thecircular wall 1. The inner face of each segment 11 is cut out in'V-shape, forming a diamond shaped opening between each pair. Disposedin said opening are a pair of segments 12l 2 having their lateral facescontacting with the inner faces of the segments 1111 and inclined at acorresponding angle. The upper, adjacent, edges of the segments 1212 aredivergently chamfered, as seen in Fig. 3, to facilitate penetration ofthe tapered end of the wedge 6 therebetween. It is obvious that as thepair of segments 12l2 are moved from their initial contracted position,shown in Fig. 4, to their final expanded position, shown in Fig. 7, thepair of se ments 1111 will be simultaneously spread apart by slidingcontact of the abutting surfaces.

The segments 11 are movably secured to the plate 8 by means of pins orlugs 13, working in guide slots 14 and provided with heads 15, whichride in the transverse grooves 16. The segments 12 have pins or lugs 17working in guide slots 18 and provided with heads 19 riding in thelongitudinal groove 20. Retractile springs 21 connect the respectivepairs of segments 11-11. Upon withdrawal of the wedge pieces 6, thesprings act to draw said segments together and thereby to drive thesegments 12l2 back to their initial positions.

In operation of the die, the blank (not shown) is placed on the femalemember B, with its openings in alinement with the cores, and is pusheddown over the base of said cores while the latter are in the contractedposition shown in Fig. 4:. Upon expansion of the cores, by penetrationof the wedge pieces carried on the male member A, the openings of theblank will be spread to the required shape and the surrounding materialwill be introduced into the lower section of the mold cavity in positionto be molded by pressure of the upper section.

Near the base of the core segments 11 and 12 are located outwardlyprojecting ribs 22 which operate, as the core is expanded, to press acircumferential groove in the lensreceiving portion of thespectacle-frame. If desired, the ribs 252 may be omitted.

The plate C has its central portion cut away to leave an openingsubstantially corresponding in shape and size to the externalconfiguration of the mold cavity. The plate is adapted to be detachablysecured to the face of the female member B with its opening inregistration with the mold cavity, by

means of the dowel-pins 23 or other suitable fasteners. When the plateis in place, as shown in Fig. 6, it constitutes the external wall of themold cavity and serves to prevent the formation of a fin'on the moldedarticle. By removal of said plate, after the molding operation, thefinished article is easily accessible for removal from the die.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts illustrated and described herein, as I am aware that variousmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of my in-'vention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A die for molding plastic material com prising a female membercontaining one section of the mold cavity and provided with anexpanding-core arranged so as to charge said section of the cavity withthe material upon expansion of the core, and a male member carrying theother section of the mold cavity and provided with a projecting part forexpanding the core.

2. A die for molding plastic material comprising a female membercontaining one section of the mold cavity and provided with anexpanding-core arranged so as to charge said section of the cavity withthe material upon expansion of the core, a male member carrying theother section of the mold expansion of one pair will simultaneouslyexpand the others, so as to charge said section of the cavity with thematerial upon expansion of the core, and a male member carrying theother section of the mold cavity and provided with a projectingwedgepiece for expanding the segments of the core.

4. A die for molding plastic material comprising a female membercontaining one section of the mold cavity and provided with anexpanding-core composed of a plurality of co-acting segments arranged soas to charge said section of the cavity with the material upon expansionof the core, a male member carrying the other section of the mold cavityand having a projecting wedge-piece for penetrating the core to spreadapart the segments thereof, and means for returning the segments totheir initial positions on withdrawal of the wedge-piece.

A die for molding plastic material comprising a female member containingone seetion of the mold cavity and provided With an expanding-corecomposed of a plurality of co-acting segments arranged so as to chargesaid section of the cavity With the material upon expansion of the core,each segment having an outwardly extending circumferential rib near itsbase portion for pressing a groove in the material upon expansion of thecore, and a male member carrying the other section of the mold cavityand pro- 10 vided with a Wedge-piece for expanding the segments of thecore.

ALFRED BURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

